Los Angeles, 

CA – May 24, 2011 –Operation HOPE, Inc. (HOPE) Founder, Chairman and CEO John Hope Bryant announced earlier this month the addition of LPL Financial President and COO Esther M. Stearns to the HOPE National Board of Directors, effective immediately.

“Esther brings a wealth of experience to our board,” said Bryant who currently serves the Obama Administration as a member of the U.S. President’s Council on Financial Capability. “Her tremendous leadership skills and insight will be a valuable resource as we continue to provide underserved communities with financial literacy empowerment.”

As a part of the national Framework Agreement between HOPE and the Financial Services Roundtable, LPL Financial has committed $1 million to the nonprofit. The funds are earmarked for the soon-to-be-built HOPE Financial Literacy Empowerment Center at Ebenezer Baptist Church, which will be the anchor for the Martin Luther King, Sr. Community Resource Complex in Atlanta.

“As the recent financial crisis made clear, financial literacy is more important today than ever,” said Stearns. “Providing American families with access to the financial tools they need to achieve their goals is something to which we at LPL Financial are committed, and I am proud to be furthering this work as a member of the Operation HOPE National Board of Directors.”

Stearns joined LPL Financial in 1996 and has served as chief operating officer and president since 2004 and 2007, respectively. In these roles, she provides strategic direction and oversight to all areas of the firm, while holding direct responsibility for the firm’s Business Technology Services, Broker/Dealer Support Services, and Custom Clearing Services, business units, as well as corporate functions such as Corporate Communication, Strategic Planning, Sponsor Relations, and Human Capital.

Stearns is also a member of the Independent Firms Committee of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA). She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Chicago.

About LPL Financial

LPL Financial, a wholly owned subsidiary of LPL Investment Holdings Inc., is an independent broker-dealer. LPL Financial and its affiliates offer proprietary technology, comprehensive clearing and compliance services, practice management programs and training, and independent research to over 12,500 financial advisors and over 750 financial institutions. Additionally, LPL Financial supports approximately 4,000 financial advisors who are affiliated and licensed with insurance companies with customized clearing, advisory platforms, and technology solutions. LPL Financial and its affiliates have over 2,600 employees with employees and offices in Boston, Charlotte, and San Diego.  For more information, please visit www.lpl.com.

About Operation HOPE
Founded in 1992, social empowerment nonprofit Operation HOPE's mission is to expand economic opportunity in under-resourced communities through financial literacy education. HOPE promotes "silver rights" – making free enterprise and capitalism relevant and effective for the underserved. Raising more than $500 million and directing and restructuring nearly $500 million more in mortgages and economic support from the private sector, for a total of approximately $1 billion dollars in economic activity, HOPE seeks dignity and empowerment for all. Follow Operation HOPE at www.operationhope.orgwww.twitter.com/operationhope, andwww.facebook.com/operationhope.

 

 

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